MY LAST column was published on June 23, the day of the UK’s referendum on European Union membership.

In that column I asked residents to vote to remain in the EU. Despite Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan voting in relatively large numbers to remain, the rest of the country felt differently. As a result, the UK will be leaving.

It gives me no pleasure to say that the risks I – and many others – warned of are starting to appear. The remain campaign now looks less ‘Project Fear’ and more ‘Project Fact’. The Bank of England has recently said that the risks of Brexit are starting to ‘crystallise’.

It is attempting to take pre-emptive action to avoid these consequences, but a full escape is unlikely.

One of the most shocking reactions following the referendum has been how it’s galvanised some of the most unsavoury behaviours in our society. The great majority of people who campaigned and voted for Brexit are decent people who I simply disagree with. However it is hard to ignore the nasty tone and dog whistle politics that came through much of the headline and local campaigning.

Ukip’s ‘Breaking Point’ poster of long lines of non-European refugees escaping war encapsulated this message. There is thoroughly depressing evidence of rising intolerance on our streets.

Both anecdotal and statistical evidence confirm that hate crimes on our streets have shot up in the wake of the referendum. It is the responsibility of everyone – Leave or Remain voters – to send a clear message. The UK has not endorsed intolerance and it is not acceptable in this country.

Many have suffered from buyer’s remorse in the wake of the referendum result. The morning news the day after the vote was littered with vox pops of voters who said they hadn’t expected the UK to actually vote to leave and were merely registering a protest vote.

Others said they hadn’t believed that the risks were real and were surprised to wake up to a plunging pound and stock market. These feelings are understandable.

Too many political campaigns now rely on negativity and it should be no surprise that voters have become wary to these warnings. The apprehensive reaction to the Remain campaign’s warnings is unsurprising. What is not forgivable, however, is the way the leaders of the Brexit campaign have started to jump ship.

The individual with perhaps the greatest buyer’s remorse from the Brexit vote is Boris Johnson. Nigel Farage too has left the scene. He announced that whilst the UK struggles to avoid recession, he will be treating himself with an early retirement.

There are some who have remained in public life who have questions to answer, too. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, promised before the referendum that Wales would have all of its European funding replaced at a British level.

The ballot papers were barely counted before he reneged on this pledge, being discarded along with the Leave campaign's £350 million a week extra for the NHS promise.

The referendum result has shown how the presence of uncertainty can induce nationwide anxiety and be a damaging influence. But not always.

The glorious uncertainty of sport has yet again provided a welcome celebration of achievement in these last few weeks. We still talk about the achievements of the Welsh football team in the 1958 World Cup. We have not reached a major tournament since.

To be in the European Championships was a great achievement in itself. Topping the group was a cause for national celebration.

But to reach the final four, with company as illustrious as Germany, France, and Portugal, is another level altogether. Despite the result against Portugal, the team has done us proud.

With all that is happening around us, the timing couldn’t have been better.